On 27 September 2025, a day after climate activist Sonam Wangchuk was detained, Ladakh's police chief said he was being probed for links with an arrested Pakistani intelligence operative. There is no evidence for this in the public record: no evidence was released, and the Centre did not rely on any foreign link when defending the detention in the Supreme Court.
Claim: Wangchuk was in touch with a Pakistani intelligence operative, and his Pakistan visit and foreign funding raise "a big question mark".
Said by: Ladakh DGP S.D. Singh Jamwal, at a press conference on 27 September 2025.
What the record shows: The operative was not named and no charge linking him to Wangchuk has been reported. The Centre's Supreme Court case rested on Wangchuk's speeches. Tribune LiveLaw
Where the claim came from
On 24 September 2025 statehood protests in Leh turned violent and four people were killed in police firing. Wangchuk was detained under the National Security Act on 26 September and moved to Jodhpur jail. Tribune
Claim · DGP S.D. Singh Jamwal The next day the DGP said: "we recently arrested a Pakistan intelligence operative who was in touch with him (Wangchuk) and sending inputs about him across the border." He noted that Wangchuk had attended a Dawn event in Pakistan and visited Bangladesh. "So, there is a big question mark on him. Different agencies are looking into these matters," he said, adding: "His foreign funding is also under investigation." Tribune
What the evidence shows
The only support offered for the operative claim was that "the police have a record of it." No name, document or charge was given. Tribune
Claim · Gitanjali Angmo Wangchuk's wife called the allegation "absolutely wrong and false". She said the couple attended a climate conference on glaciers held by the UN and Dawn Media in February 2025, and asked whether attending such an event makes someone an ISI agent. Tribune
Government's position in court In the Supreme Court, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta argued that Wangchuk's Gandhian references were a cover and that he pushed youth towards Nepal- or Bangladesh-style unrest. That case rested on speeches and videos, not foreign contact. LiveLaw When the detention was revoked on 14 March 2026, the reasons given were time served and the need for dialogue. No foreign link was mentioned. Newslaundry
Documented, separate issue The Home Ministry did cancel the FCRA registration of SECMOL, an institution Wangchuk founded, on 25 September 2025, over foreign-contribution lapses involving sums of a few lakh rupees or less, such as ₹4.93 lakh from Future Earth for a study. SECMOL disputed the findings. ThePrint None of the reported reasons involved Pakistan.
Context
Fakes in this dispute ran both ways, including an AI voice-over that put false words in the DGP's mouth. See our Ladakh protests page for both accounts.
Questions people ask
Who accused Sonam Wangchuk of Pakistan links?
Ladakh DGP S.D. Singh Jamwal, on 27 September 2025, citing an unnamed arrested Pakistani operative.
Why did Wangchuk go to Pakistan?
His wife says they attended a UN and Dawn Media climate conference on glaciers in February 2025.
Was SECMOL's FCRA licence cancelled?
Yes, on 25 September 2025, over small accounting lapses. The reasons did not involve Pakistan.
Sources
- Tribune: Ladakh cops probe Wangchuk's Pak links, 28 Sept 2025
- Tribune: Wangchuk's wife refutes Pakistan-link allegations, 30 Sept 2025
- LiveLaw: Centre to Supreme Court on Wangchuk, 2025
- Newslaundry: Centre revokes Wangchuk's NSA detention, 14 Mar 2026
- ThePrint: Why SECMOL's FCRA licence was cancelled, Sept 2025
